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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · dip · straw · spring · content · lie · safe · bass

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. stock — goods
  3. bass — low music
  4. spring — the season
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. spring — a coil
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. content — the amount
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — the fish
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. content — happy
  20. spring — of water
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. stock — shares

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com